AGF Calls for Multi-faceted Approach to War against Human Trafficking
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has declared that human trafficking has become a sophisticated, profit-driven, and deeply coordinated criminal enterprise, and could no longer be addressed in isolation, nor tackled by one agency or sector alone.
The minister made the declaration yesterday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at this year’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, with the theme: “Human Trafficking is Organised Crime – End the Exploitation,” and the 28th National Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Human Trafficking.
Fagbemi said human trafficking is no longer a crime that can be addressed in isolation, nor can it be tackled by one agency or sector alone, stressing that it requires a united front, reinforced partnerships, and multi-sectoral collaboration.
The Minister, who was represented by the Director, Research and Project Development, Victoria Ojogbane, said: “To this end, the 2025 observance has been thoughtfully designed to go beyond ceremonial declarations.
“Experts from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Armed forces, law enforcement, justice, social welfare, and international partners, have been carefully selected to serve as Panelists to dissect the theme from their institutional lenses and practical experiences, and with a view to building a more holistic, coordinated, and intelligence-led response to the crime.”
He explained that human trafficking is organised crime and transnational in nature as it is planned and carried out by groups in a structured manner.
“It is a deeply coordinated criminal enterprise and the primary goal of the perpetrators is economic gain from the exploitation of others irrespective of who the victim is. Human traffickers attempt to insulate both their leadership and membership from detection, sanction, and/ or prosecution through their organisational structure.
“This crime can be local, national or transnational and constitute threats to persons and their families, Communities and nations. In fact, it is affecting our national security negatively as Nigeria is a Source, Transit and Destination country for trafficking,” he added.
As an organised criminal activity with high profit and low risks, human trafficking, he said, is highly sophisticated, profit-driven with annual profit of over $245 billion according to the ILO official report of 2023.
Earlier, in her welcome speech, the Director General of NAPTIP, Hajiya Binta Adamu, said it was important to draw attention to the alarming and ever-evolving tactics employed by human traffickers today.
“One such disturbing trend is the emergence of loan-for-sex trafficking schemes, where unsuspecting women are deceived through fraudulent online loan offers. These women, often in desperate need of financial assistance, are trapped in cycles of exploitation when they are coerced into prostitution, or other forms of sexual exploitation under the pretext of repaying these non-existent debts. This method preys on economic vulnerability and is facilitated largely through unregulated digital platforms.
“Equally troubling are the proliferation of fake job offers and scholarship scams. Traffickers now masquerade as international employers or academic recruiters, enticing young people with promises of lucrative employment or fully-funded education abroad.
“Upon arrival in foreign countries, victims are stripped of their freedoms and subjected to forced labour or sexual exploitation. These deceptive tactics not only exploit the ambition and dreams of our youth but also undermine legitimate labour migration and international academic exchange,” she said.
For his part, the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr. Cheikh Toure said: “The complexity of human trafficking is undeniable. But so is our collective resolve.”
